Production of alloys of copper, such as brass.



UNITED STATES PA" our SYDNEY "CAPEL PECK AND WILLIAM RICHARD HODGKINSON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PRODUCTION OF .ALLO YS OF COPPER, SUCH AS BRASS.

N 0 Drawing.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that We, SYDNEY CAPEL PECK and \VILLIAM RICHARD HODGKINSON, F. R. S. 13., subjects of the King of England, re siding in London, England, have invented certain new and useful improvements in the Production of Alloys of Copper, Such as Brass, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the production of alloys of copper such as brass, bronze, cupro-nickel and the like.

The object of the invention is to improve the qualities of such alloys for certain purposes by the introduction into the alloys of additional constituents. Thus, for example, it is found that the introduction of'various small proportions of chromium, manganese, nickel, cobalt, or zinc may alter the properties of the resulting alloy, and in certain cases render the alloys considerably more useful for certain purposes.

According to this invention, in introducing a metal into a copper alloy such as brass, a portion of the alloy metal may be heated with a reducing agent, such as carbon, and a phosphate of the metal to be introduced, so as to produce a metallic solution of the phosphid of the metal to be introduced and thereafter this solution of phosphid may be added in any desired proportion to the molten alloy.

Metals which may be introduced into the alloy are, for example, chromium, manga nese, nickel or Zinc.

The following is a description, by way of example, of one method of carrying this invention into effect for thegpurpose of producing a brass containingasmall proportion of chromium. Chromium phosphate is intimately mixed With a reducing agent such as powderedcharcoal, pitch or the like, and this mixture is heated with metallic co per, brass or like alloy, the proportions an the temperature being such as to effect the reduction of the chromium phosphate to chromium phosphid which is dissolved in the copper, brass or likealloy. This copper or metal solution of chromium phosphid is then added in the required proportion to the molten brass. In this second operation, some phosphid of zinc is formed and volatilized, leaving a brass (or copper zinc'alloy) containing metallic chromium, and, it may be, some traces or small quantities of phosphid. By such a method it is possible to increase Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 141', 196%.

Application filed. September 11, 190i). .SerialNo. 517,263.

the ductility and tensile strength of the brass or otherwise to vary its properties.

It is to be understood that the details of the process and the proportions of the ingredientsmay be varied without departing from this invention. For example, the reduction of the metallic phosphate and the introduction of the resulting phosphid into tion or a concentrated solution of metallic phosphid in brass or other alloy metal may be first prepared.

was cast in an iron mold. During the aboveprocess'the whole was-thoroughly stirred every half hour with a piece of .wood. The metal produced in the above manner contains chromium phosphid and was thus made use of to improve the qualities of brass :l516 grams of copper were melted in a crucible and 655 grams of zinc and then 82.5 grams of the chromium phosphid brass were added and the Whole thoroughly stirred and then after twelve minutes was cast in a round iron mold. The metal thus produced when tested gave'a tensile strength of 19 tons per square inch and an elongation of 7 2% on two inches. Brass made of the same sample of copper and zinc in the same proportions and under exactly similar conditions but not treated with the chromium phosphid metal has a tensile strength of 14.4 tons per square inch and an elongation of 38.5% on two inches.

What we claim as our'invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the alloy may both take place in one opera-' The following is a description in detail of an actual test of the process embodying this 1. The hereinbefore described method of p 2. The hereinbefore described method of treating a copper alloy by the introduction thereto of another metal which consists in heating a portion of the alloy metal with a solid reducing agent and phosphate'of chromium, collecting the metallic phosphid thus produced heating a mass of the alloy to a molten state and adding to it the metallic phosphidz t 3. The hereinbefore described method of treating a copper alloy by the introduction thereto of another metal which consists in heating metallic brass with chromium phos-' molten state and adding to it the required amount of the phosphid solution.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of 20 the subscribing witnesses.

SYDNEY GAPEL PECK. WILLIAM RICHARD HODGKINSON.

Witnesses to signature of Sydney Capel Peck:

HARRY B. BRIDGE,

. EDGAR H. ADAMs Witnesses to signature Hodgkinson:

WILLIAM BALLANTYNE, PERoY HIGGINSON.

of William R. 

